Mute
by ricojohn
Summary: Every one has a breaking point and every one has that one thing that stops them from going over the edge. Will the new girl be Percy's break to stop him from going over or is his life doomed from the start to end in tragedy? Read and find out. (I don't know how far the relationships in this story will go yet so M to be safe.)
1. Chapter 1

A MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR: Hay guys! I read a story by When Turtles Fly called flying sea. That put a lot of ideas in my head. I didn't want to rip off any ones fan fic though. Then I Read a story by Seaweed Skull called Silence is bliss (both versions) and I realized that this Idea was common enuf that I could right my story without being the dick weed that rips off a fan fic. That being said, if you like my stories you would LOVE theirs.

Basic Set Up: The gods don't exist in this story. The half bloods are jest regular people. Percy stands out though. (This is where I thought I might have ripped off When Turtles Fly.) Percy is in the worst situation I can think of. He is a Dyslexic mute. Trust me on the Dyslexia descriptions in the story as I actually have it. The only reason this is legible is spell check. Even then there will be minor spelling errors. You have been warned.

Enjoy!

Chapter 1: My life, or lack of it.

I sat alone on the front porch of the orphanage. Yes I am an orphan. My mom died in a car crash when I was four and my dad walked off the side of the Brooklyn bridge a year latter, leaving me alone with no one to take care of me. I watched him jump. I would have stopped him if I could, but I couldn't. There was a cop a few hundred feet away but he was looking the wrong way. I would have screamed to the cop to get his attention but I couldn't. I was in the car when my mom was hit by a tractor trailer on the belt parkway. I don't remember much of the crash but I do remember seeing my mom's lifeless eyes and a large chunk of mettle sticking out of my throat. The doctors said I was lucky to be alive, but the fact was that my vocal cords were shredded beyond any hope of repair. So when my dad took the sort cut off the side of the bridge, all I could do was watch.

After bouncing from orphanage to orphanage I finally settled into a routine at Half-Blood Orphanage. Ok, that's jest the nick name given to the orphanage by the kids. It might as well be the real name though. More blood is spilt here per day than in the Roman Coliseum. It's all because of this jock Luke castellan. He beats the shit out of any one who disagrees with him. Which is every one. He's an anarchist. The only goal he has in life is to beet up people for not disagreeing with every thing. Some kids have tried to play it off like their on his side jest to avoid the beating but he sees right through it and beats those kids twice as hard. He has a small gang of the meanest kid in the orphanage though. His girl friend, Clarisse, is a real bitch jest likes to cause pain to smaller kids. Even right now I can hear the two of them beating the snot out of some poor kid. I lean my head back agents the wall of the orphanage. I want to help the poor kid but that will jest make things worse.

Luke and Clarisse hate me most of all. They think in simple or something because I don't talk. They really are Nazis. They think that any one of a different ideological view or has a mental condition should be killed. The only reason I'm still alive is that I'm smart. I can out smart them a million times a day. And at night I lock my door.

Yeah I know, It's like that movie Sines. All their strength and might, all the people in their gang and they can't get through a simple wooden door. I mean who woulda figured the door would have a lock on it ass hole. So as you can figure out, Luke's not the sharpest tool in the shed. I would say I made some friends here but that would be a lie. The other kids are ether too scared of Luke to risk it or they think I'm simple too. My guidance counselor at school suggested I right down what I have to say or I learn sine language but my spelling is so bad that even if I did either of those no one would be able to understand what I was saying. I did learn some hand sines that mean words but I gave up when I realized no one knew sine language anyway.

My life pretty much sucked. The adults were no help either. My orphanage's care taker, Gabe, didn't care about us enuf to help. He actually took all the money the government gave him to help run the orphanage and spends it on booze and poker. We have to go to the local homeless shelters to get our meals. A brave kid stood up to Gabe once but wound up in the hospital. Gabe lied and said the kid tripped down the stairs and the police bought it.

My school life was no better. The teachers were convinced I was a lazy good for nothing and their low salaries didn't make them care if the kids were bullied. My inheritance from my mom and dad would have seen me through collage if Gabe hadn't stolen it and lost it in a game of poker. So my life sucked. You couldn't even call it a life. Life is full of good and bad, Sorrow and joy. The only memories I have are of pain. Mental and physical pain. I was only sixteen but I had considered subside a few times. Then I realized I was being stupid. There was a hole world out there and I could jest leave.

So I ran away when I was ten. Yeah, I know what I said before this. You herd right. All eight of my subside contemplations and all three of the attempts were before I turned ten. Any way. When the cops found me and brought me back Gabe beat me until I was blacked out.

"You little shit!" He screamed. "this could have resulted in an investigation!" He roared. "I ain't going to jail!"

That jest shows you Gabe. A kid runs away and all he cares about is what might happen to him. That's when I realized my mistake. I ran away without a plan. Ever since then I have been trying to plan the perfect runaway plan. One that would result in Gabe getting arrested and Luke as well. So far I had nothing though.

My thoughts were interrupted by a car pulling up in front of the orphanage. I watched it calmly as the driver got out and walked around the car to open the shot gun seat door.

Is this a surprise inspection? I thought. Maybe Gabe will finally be arrested for child endangerment and Luke might be sent off to juvie. The thought of the two of them rotting an a jail cell brought a small smile to my face.

When the door opened though I was disappointed to see it was jest another new kid. Her eyes were puffy, like she had been crying. She had obviously jest lost her parents.

Fuck. I thought to my self. She jest lost her parents and they sent her hear. She's dead meat for shore.

"Young man." The driver called to me. I looked him in the eyes to show him I was listening. "Can you go get the care taker please?" He asked. I nodded and went in side. I found Gabe in his office with the door open. I knocked on it to get his attention off of his i-pad.

"What?!" He demanded, not taking his eyes off the screen. I was unable to talk so I knocked again. He glared up at me with a 'I'm gona kill you' look. "What?" He demanded again. I waved my hand in a follow me gesture. His jaw set and I thought he was going to beat me but instead he rose and grumbled. "Stupid retard."

I led him back out side where the driver was waiting with the girl.

"Take her inside to a spare room." Gabe told me before approaching the driver to make some sort of conversation.

I waved her over in a follow me gesture and showed her inside. I would have helped with her bags if she had any but she only had the one back pack. As we were walking up the stairs to the second floor Luke stopped me.

"Hay stupid." He said in mock friendliness. "I see we have a new member of our little family." He was talking to the new girl now. "So what's your name blondy?" He asked.

The girl still looked like she was about to cry. "Annabeth." She said in a small, almost crying voice.

Please. I thought to her. If you want to survive here you will act a little bit tougher.

"Annabeth." Luke repeated. "Well, Annabeth, let me give you some advice." He said in a sincere voice. Then he pointed at me. "This little punk will get you into a lot of trouble so I would stay away from him." He finished.

Annabeth frowned in confusion before Luke hit me hard in the stomach. I doubled over in pain and rolled down the stairs. He laughed and walked over me as a lay on the floor at the foot of the stairs clutching my stomach. Annabeth stood on the steps in shock. She starred at me for a second. Then she ran down the stairs to help me. She hoisted me into a sitting position which hurt a lot. My face grimaced.

"Are you ok?" She asked. Being unable to respond with my voice, again, I nodded. I had taken harder hits that that. Annabeth stared at me for a second. "Are you shore?" She asked. I slowly got to my feet and nodded.

I continued to climb the steps with Annabeth behind me, looking nerves.

"Who was that kid?" She asked me when we reached the top of the stairs. This was the only good part about not having friends. I didn't have to try and find a way to communicate around my condition. When I didn't answer her, Annabeth asked again. "Who was that boy on the stairs?"

By this time we were at the spare room that would be her room. I gave her a small, lightly apologetic smile as I opened the door and waved my and at the entrance in a 'well, here you are!' type way.

"So, this is my room?" She asked. I nodded. I was about to leave her to unpack when she asked me another question. "Can you talk?" She asked.

My mind froze. I was quiet shore but I had only known her for a few minutes and she was already asking that question. It usually took people a half hour or more with me to figure that out. Normally people jest assume I am anti social.

I frowned at her to signal my curiosity as to why she asked that question.

"You haven't made a sound." She said, as if laying out evidence in a court case. "Not even when that kid punched you and you fell down the stairs." Her head tilted a little. "And then there's that scar on your neck."

My hand flew to my neck to cover the scar where the chunk of mettle had imbedded itself in my neck when I was four.

"I was jest wondering." She said, starting to loose the confidence she had shown a second ago.

I waved her into her bedroom and entered after her. Once the door was closed I turned to face her with a analytical stare. Her storm gray eyes were starring back at me. It dawned on me that we were analyzing each other. That she was trying to figure me out as well.

"You never answered my question." She said. "Can you talk?"

I shook my head. She nodded, clearly trying to think.

"Do you speak sign language?" She asked.

I held out my index finger and thumb to say 'jest a little bit'. What she did next shocked me.

'Do you know what I'm saying?' She asked with her hands. My eyebrows went up in surprise. I immediately started to sign back.

'Yes.' I said. 'You know sign language?' She laughed and nodded.

"They taught us it at my last high school." She said aloud. "Never thought I would actually use it though." She laughed and I smiled. It was the first full smile I had had since before my dad jumped.

"So who was that boy?" She asked as she put her backpack down on the bed and started to unpack. She looked at me to see my response. I lifted my hands to sign a response when I realized I didn't know how to spell Luke. Phonetically I thought It was Look but I figured that was probably wrong. Eventually I just gave up.

'Look' I signed.

"Look at what?" Annabeth said after a few seconds. I frowned. Look and Luke were two different things but I still couldn't think of a way to spell it that wasn't phonetic.

'His name, Look.' I signed. I knew it wasn't proper english but I had trouble forming the words with my hands.

"His name is Look?" Annabeth asked slightly taken aback. I shook my head.

'I can't spell.' I signed. She frowned at that and started to stroke her chin in confusion. My face was becoming redder by the minute. This was the first person I could communicate with in a long time and I was fumbling my words like an idiot.

"Do you mean Luke?" She asked. My eyebrows went up and I nodded vigorously. She laughed a little. "Luke is spelled L-U-K-E." She said spelling out his name on the second Luke. I shrugged.

'I have bad reading.' I signed. Annabeth's eyebrows went to gather as she tried to understand what bad reading might mean. 'Can't sign it. letters get messed up. I spell how they sound.' When I finished Annabeth's face hit a look of realization.

"You spell Phonetically?" She asked. I nodded.

'bad reading makes me.' I signed. She frowned as she put the last of her clothes in the dresser.

"Bad reading?" She asked, almost to her self. "Bad reading?" Then she got that look of realization again. "Do letters move on you when you try and read them off a paper?" She asked. I nodded and knew she understood I was dyslexic. "A Dyslexic mute." She said in amusement. "That's gota be a first." I shrugged and looked around her room.

It looked jest like mine. One bed below a window across from the door. One dresser on the left wall and a small desk on the right. I realized she jest went through a very tuff time and now she was here. She was thrown into the worst orphanage I could think of.

'I am sorry you are here.' I signed. She frowned.

"What do you mean?" She asked. The way she looked at me with that quizzical look made me feel weird. like I was exposed. I didn't mind it though.

'You are an orphan.' I signed. 'I am sorry that you must be here." I wanted to say more but didn't know how to frame it into words.

"Oh," She said. "Thanks." she was speaking so quietly it was barely above a whisper. She sat down on the bed in back of her and dropped her head into he hands. Her eyes were focused on the floor but looked up when I moved my hands to sign.

'Why are you here?' I signed. She looked back down.

"My step mom burned down the house trying to cook last week." She paused. "I was the only one to make it out of the house." I nodded sympathetically.

'What about your mom?' I signed.

"Never met her." Annabeth said. "My dad said she ran off with some other guy a few weeks after I was born and he hadn't herd from her since." A glimmer of hope rose in me.

'You don't have to stay here.' I signed quickly.

"What?" She asked in confusion. I wasn't shore if it was because of the statement or I signed to fast for her to read.

'Your mom.' I signed. 'She can get you out of here. You don't have to stay here.'

"She abandoned me years ago." She said. "Why would I want to find her? Much less live with her." I shook my head.

'Any where is better than here.' I signed. Annabeth shook her head at that and I watched her blond hair fall over her shoulders.

"I don't think so." She said. "Not any where."

'You will see.' I signed.

A MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR: Thanks for reading guys. If you like it and want to read more than post a review or PM me and I will update the story. 1 Review or PM gets you 1 chapter. If two of you review than thats two chapters of updates I will post. Simple system.


	2. Chapter 2

A MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR: Sorry for taking so long. Writer's block.

Enjoy!

Chapter 2: They say knowledge will set you free

POV: Percy

Who ever promised that knowledge would set you free was really stupid. All school was for me was more information that amounted to nothing. Another excuse for people to call the mute kid stupid. The teachers didn't give a crap about me and some of them even enjoyed asking me questions so that they can grill me out about not answering. Needless to say I hated school.

I groaned as my alarm went off to wake me up for school. I opened my sleepy eyes after a nightmare filled night. I shut my alarm off and got out of bed, still shaking from the dream.

In it I had watched my mom die again and then stood helplessly as my dad jumped off the bridge again. Then Luke beat the snot out of me while Gabe drank beer and told Luke where to hit me. It was a synopsis of my life.

As I staggered in a daze to the bathroom, I passed Annabeth's door and remembered that the new girl was actually nice. I stopped and knocked on her door to make sure she was up in time to catch the bus. I had missed it a few times and had to walk to school. It wasn't fun.

"Yes?" Her voice came from inside.

I couldn't respond so I knocked again.

"Who's there?" Her voice sounded again.

Not knowing what to do I knocked a third time.

The door flung wide open.

"What?" demanded the girl in a hostile tone.

My eyebrows went up in surprise. I expected her to apologies when she remembered I was mute but she didn't.

"Oh," She said, once she realized it was me. "It's you." She spoke in an angry tone.

Maybe she's not a morning person. I thought to my self.

Then she pushed past me and stalked off down the hall. I was a little upset by this but I was ignored and bullied to often to make a big deal out of it.

She'll come around. I thought to my self. She just lost her dad so she's probably really upset and can't think strait.

I finished getting dressed and then made my way down the block to the homeless shelter to get some food. It wasn't very good but it was a meal. After that I got on line for the school bus. There I saw Annabeth again. She was laughing with a spiky, black haired girl who's name I knew to be Thalia.

I smiled as I realized that Annabeth was in a better mood.

Now I can talk to her, so to speak. I thought.

As I approached her thought she caught sight of me and her expression darkened.

"What do you want?" She demanded in an angry voice.

'Why are you angry?' I signed in confusion.

She shook her head.

"Just piss off." She growled. "Now."

I frowned at her and quickly walked away.

Great. I thought to my self. Just another jerk in the house and this was the first one I had the slightest hope of becoming friends with.

The worst part for me though was we had really hit it off the day before. We had chatted for a wile and even found out that we both like out door activities. Then she just tells me to go away like Im some sort of ass hole?

When the bus pulls up I climb on and take a seat a few rows behind Annabeth and on the other side of the walk way. To my surprise she sat next to Luke and they both appeared to be laughing.

She had seen him punch me and walk over me as I way at the bottom of the stairs and now they were buddy buddy? What is wrong with her? I thought as I watched her.

Then Luke looked back at me and gave me a crule wink as if to say 'See that? She likes me.'

I felt a tear form in my eye now as I realized I was going to be alone my hole life and there was nothing I could do about it.

Time Break!

POV: Percy

School sucked as usual. Teachers not caring and students picking on me. I was at lunch when something caught my eye. I looked to my left from my lunch table, where I sat alone, to see Luke, Clarisse, Annabeth, and more of Luke's gang talking and laughing. My mind hit a new low there. The one person I could communicate with and she hangs out with them.

What did I do to deserve this? I thought in despair.

Then Clarisse and Annabeth got up to leave and Luke approached my table.

"Hey, stupid." He called out as he came near to me.

I didn't give him the satisfaction of looking at him.

"Just figured I'd tell you this right now." He said. "She knows your a stupid mute that's more likely to cause her pain than be worth anything. Figured you'd need some help rapping your stupid head around that one. You'd be better off if you just dropped dead."

I stared at the idiot in front of me for a few seconds. Did he really think that this was an insult? Who talks like that anyway? It's like some bad fan-fiction writing I read online once.

When he realized that he wasn't upsetting me he started to kick the shit out of me. He beat me so bad that I was leading from several arias in my body.

"No one will ever give two fucks for a mute orphan." He growled in my ear as I lay helpless on the ground.

Time Break

I sat on my bed as my hands constructed something I had made a thousand times. It had become a secret art project of mine to make. Today though I wasn't just going to make it and destroy it like usual. Instead I hung it from the ceiling by pulling over my desk chair and securing it to the ceiling fan that never works.

My hole body ached from my beating earlier to day. Then there was Annabeth thinking that I was not worth any of her time. She treated me with so much hate earlier that I realized my life was one big shit show and more shit was on the way. I had no future. I can't afford collage and I had no hope of ever making friends. Annabeth had proven that. So I put my master escape plan into affect.

I know I said my run away plans wouldn't work and I was yet to come up with a way to do it but this plan was different. I placed the letter on my desk and put my "art" to use. I rocked the chair until it tipped over and I fell.

Then I felt my "Art" tighten around my neck as the rope grew taught. I was dangling there un able to breath.

Dam. I thought. My neck didn't break and now I was suffocating. I was hopping it would be quicker than this. Just a fall and then nothing. If I was lucky I might get to se my mom and dad again but not I had to suffer first.

As I dangled there, chocking, there was a knock on my door. After a second the door opened and Annabeth stuck her head around the corner.

"You in here, Percy?" She asked as she glanced around the room.

Her eyes bugged out of her head when she saw me.

"What the hell?!" She screamed and ran forward to me as I silently choked to death.

She tried to grab hold of my legs as I feebly tried to push her away but I was running out of air and couldn't manage to do it. As she grabbed my legs, she pushed me up towards the ceiling to loosen the tension on the rope and my lungs filled them selves with air, against my will. As my strength came back I started to fight her off so she would drop me and let me hang.

Why does she care anyway? I thought. Im just some problem for her anyway.

"Percy, calm down!" Annabeth yelled. "Im trying to help you!"

'Then let me go.' I signed.

She stared up at me in shock.

"What?" She shouted. "Percy, Im not going to let you hang your self!"

I started to thrash around even more. She didn't care about me. She was probably trying to save her own skin like Gabe.

As I continued to struggle she spotted something on my desk. I thought it was the letter but her eyes lit up to bright for it to be the letter. Then she gently let go of me and I was back to hanging. This was what I wanted. To be left alone to die in peace. Then Annabeth righted the chair next to me and she stood on it. I wasn't sure what she was doing till I herd a snip and I fell to the floor.

I rolled over to see Annabeth throwing my scissors, that she used to cut me down, out the window.

probably so I don't try and stab myself. I thought bitterly.

Then she picked up the corded phone on my desk and called 911.

When she finished with the operator she hung up and turned to me with terror and anger in her eyes.

"What the hell were you thinking?" She demanded. She was staring at me, waiting for an answer.

Well keep waiting. I thought as I sat on the floor with the broken rope still tied around my neck.

"Why would you do that, Percy?" She asked, sounding like she was about to cry.

Nice acting. I thought. But I saw your true side today.

"Percy, please." She pleaded, now kneeling in front of me.

She attempted to take my hands but I pulled them away from her.

"Percy?" She asked. "Why were you trying to kill your self?"

I just glared at her.

She stared at me with deep concern in her eyes.

"Percy?" She asked.

'Why do you care?' I signed, eventually.

She seamed taken aback by this.

"Percy," She began.

'No.' I signed to cut her off. 'Shut up.'

"Percy," She began again.

'I said shut up.' I signed.

"Im here to try and help you." She said as I herd sirens out the window.

'What were your words?' I signed. 'oh yah, PISS OFF'

I turned my back on her as a medical teem came in and put me on a stretcher to wheel me out of the room.

A MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR: Confused? Well post a review and I'll post the answer as to what the fuck is up with Annabeth! MMMUUUAAAHHHAAAHHHAAA!


	3. Chapter 3

A MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR: Sorry it took so long but here is the next chapter!

Chapter 3:Doctors

POV: Percy

I was lying on a hospital bed with my arms crossed and staring out the window when she entered. I had been there for hours and refused to answer any questions the police asked. So the doctors declared I had some disorder and needed therapy.

Then they let Annabeth in to "Talk" to me. In reality we just sat there in awkward silence. Then she spoke at last.

"Percy?" She asked. "Are you ok?"

I didn't acknowledge her. I just stared out the window.

"Percy?" She asked again.

Again I ignored her.

"Please talk to me!" Annabeth pleaded. "Percy!"

I finally was fed up so I turned to acknowledge her.

'What do you want?' I singed.

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"I just want to know what got into you." She said. "You were fine this morning and then I walked in to find you hanging your self."

I just glared at her.

'Get lost.' I signed eventually.

"Percy," Annabeth began. "Can you just talk to me?" She was starting to sound desperate.

'Why do you even care?' I signed with my anger clearly plastered in my face.

Annabeth looked taken aback in the chair next to my bed.

"I care because you're my friend." She said in a duh kind of tone.

'Really?' I signed. 'Because last I herd from you was to piss off.'

She looked hurt at that.

"Percy." She began. "look, I didn't mean it like that."

I silently scoffed.

'And that's why you chose to hang out with the very kid who beats the shit out of me on a daily basis.' I signed, shaking my head in disgust.

"I'm sorry." Annabeth pleaded. "I was just trying to keep us safe!"

I ignored her and stared out the window. The tall buildings of the city brightly lit out the window.

"Luke said he would kill us both!" She was practically historical now. "He was going on about how he wanted to make you miserable or something! Said if I didn't play along he would kill us both!"

I sook my head.

'You really expect me to fall for that?' I signed, not looking at her.

"It's true though!" She exclaimed. "Percy, I'm sorry!"

She was starting to piss me off now with how she kept pushing with this story.

'Just find your dam mom and get the hell out of the orphanage.' I signed, glareing at her now.

"Percy," She began.

'You know,' I signed. 'You really had me going there.' I shook my head. 'You actually had me convinced that I could make some friends and get through this.' I silently chuckled to my self. 'Well jokes on me I guess.'

When I finished I rolled over to face the window and turn my back on Annabeth and closed my eyes to go to sleep. Annabeth was trying to talk to me and "explain" but I wasn't listening. Eventually I fell asleep.

Time Break

POV: Percy

When I woke up It was dark out and I rolled over in the bed to see Annabeth asleep in the chair next to me.

Why is she even here? I thought to my self.

Then a thought occurred to me.

She's just trying to cover her own ass. I thought. She want's to play the roll of concerned friend to avoid being blamed in my attempted suicide.

I was about to roll over again when she woke up.

"Percy?" She asked. "What's up?"

I didn't answer.

"Percy, I really am sorry." She said. "I don't know what you want me to say but I really do regret my actions but I thought I was protecting you."

'Just leave.' I signed. 'Go find your mom and leave me alone.'

"You think I would just leave you?" Annabeth asked. "Your my only real friend and based on what I've seen the orphanage is hell on Earth." She shook her head. "No way I'm leaving you there, alone."

'Well maybe I don't want you there.' I signed.

"Percy, I said I'm sorry." Annabeth practically wined.

'Just go.' I signed. 'I was doing fine on my own before you showed up.'

Annabeth looked really hurt at that.

Well good. I thought.

"No." She said at last. "I'm not going anywhere with out you."

She said this last part as if it were final.

A MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR: Sorry it's short but I'm building it up to a bigger payout so give it time. Post reviews to let me know your still interested in the story. The more reviews the faster I update.


	4. Chapter 4: Punishment

A MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR: Before I start I have one request that I want to answer why I can't do it for now.

cheetah2613 requested an Annabeth POV.

Sorry but no can do. Not yet any way. I like toying with people.

Is Annabeth really Percy's friend or is she just covering her own ass with a half baked story about Luke threatening to kill them?

If her POV is in this point of the story it would ruin the suspense of the moment.

I promise once the truth is revealed I will do an Annabeth POV. I love righting Annabeth POV chapters and It's killing me that I can't right one yet.

Enjoy!

Chapter 4: Punishment

POV: Percy

I was released from the hospital the next day under the condition that I see a therapist once a week.

Great. I thought. Now I gota talk to a shrink.

After a long walk back to the orphanage I decided I should go to my room to try an avoid Gabe. Trying to kill my self was sure to piss him off and make authorities get suspicious. He would punish me for this.

Before I could make the stairs to the second floor though a meaty hand grabbed my shoulder.

"And where do you think you're going?" Asked the greasy voice of Gabe.

My head swiveled around to face him but was met with a heavy fist. I fell to the floor only to have my gut stomped on by a heavy foot.

"Now what did I tell you about getting into things that might get me arrested?" Gabe mocked as he kicked me in the head.

If I could make a noise I would have screamed.

"Answer me, retard!" Gabe screamed, grabbing my head in his hands and dragging it up. For a second I was shocked by him dragging my head up.

What's he doing? I wondered.

I didn't have to wait long as his knee mad contact with my nose.

I felt blood spurt out of my nose and mouth as the repeatedly kneed my head.

Eventually he released me and walked away, after kicking me in the side for good measure of-course.

I laid there for a good ten minutes before logic took hold of my brain again.

Get to your room! A voice in my head screamed at me. The others will be home from school soon and Luke will beat even more shit out of you!

That though terrified me, so I started to crawl towards the stairs. I could barley move through the pain but I was making slow, painful, progress.

I had just reached the stairs when I herd the front door open.

Oh, shit! I thought.

I tried to crawl up the first step, as fast as I could, when the voice in back of me made me freeze.

"Well, well, well." Came the psychotic voice of Luke. "Looks like the retard tripped."

I could hear his gang laugh at the joke but I didn't turn around. I was still desperately trying to crawl up the steps.

"Say boys?" Clarisse spoke up. "Why don't you help him up for me?"

There was another laugh before I felt two pairs of hands lift me up and turn me around.

I weakly raised my head to stare at my tormentors.

Luke and Clarisse stood in front of me looking excited.

"I think it's time we repay him for thinking he could just take the easy way out." Said Luke with a sick smile. "What do you think?" He asked raising an eyebrow at Clarisse who nodded in approval.

The next thing I know the two of them were punching and kneeing me repeatedly. There were so many hits I stopped tracking who threw what and just starred at the ceiling, waiting for it to end. I had long ago learned that fighting back was useless and it was easier to just take it.

I could feel a lot of pain as they hit me and hear the laughs of the gang as they watched.

Out of the corner of my eye I could see the other orphans watching with horiphied looks on their faces. Amongst them I could see the stoic face of Annabeth, who was one row back from the front of the circle.

Well, there's my proof. I thought. She could jump in to help me but she's just watching it happen. I shifted my eyes back to the ceiling. She's not my friend. She was never my friend. Why would she be? I can't even kill my self right.

After about a half hour the beating stopped and the gang left me on the floor in a bloody heap.

I laid motionless for a few minutes as the pain over took me.

"Percy?" A soft voice said to my left.

My head was angled to the right and I couldn't gather the strength to twitch, let alone move my head.

"Percy?" The voice repeated.

This time I felt a burst of pain as a hand was lightly placed on my shoulder.

I wanted to scream out in pain, to groan in agony, to wimpier. But I couldn't. Just like in all my beatings, I was mute.

"Percy, please." The voice pleaded as the hand shook my shoulder, sending more pain through me.

I had to get away. This person was here to cause me more pain. I had to get away.

I weakly reached out an arm to try and drag myself back to the stairs, but it fell to the floor and refused to take any more orders.

Well. I thought. Looks like I'm going to die any way. No help needed from my art projects.

The hand on my shoulder moved to my far side and rolled me over onto my back.

"Percy!" The voice shouted as I rolled over.

A face came into view and I knew I knew the owner but I wasn't sure from where. The pain seamed to block out my memories of the person but I knew I wasn't happy this person was here.

"Come on." The person said. "Help me lift him."

Two pairs of hands garbed me. One garbed my ankles, the other garbed my arm pits.

"Where will we take him?" Asked another voice.

"My room." Responded the first. "We'll put him on my bed."

Then I was moving and it hurt, a lot.

After a minute or so of this I blacked out.

Time Break!

When I woke up It was dark out the window but the room was lit from a lamp on a desk.

Where am I? I thought as I shifter in the bed.

The movement brought pain but I tried to ignore it.

"Percy?" A voice to my left asked.

I turned my head to look at the person, hoping it wasn't a member of Luke's gang.

It was Annabeth.

What the hell does SHE want? I thought.

"Are you ok?" Annabeth asked in a low, soothing voice.

I frowned at her.

"Look, Annabeth, he's awake" Came a voice from across the room in an annoyed tone. "So lets just drop him at his room and be done with it."

I checked to see who said that.

"We can't just leave him there, Thalia." Came Annabeth's voice.

"The hell we can't." Thalia responded. "If Luke see's us with him we're dead for sure."

Annabeth was about to protest when I rolled out of the bed and ungracefully landed on my side.

"Percy!" Annabeth cried out in alarm.

I just shook my head, ignoring my body's protest, and staggered my way to the door.

"Where are you going?" Annabeth demanded in back of me.

I couldn't talk and couldn't muster the energy to sign so I just continued to stager my way out the door and down the hall. I could feel Annabeth following me.

"I don't think you should be walking yet." Annabeth intoned. "Percy?"

I just continued until I reached my room.

I fumbled with the door nob for a minute before my hand listened and opened the door.

I walked in and tried to close the door but Annabeth stopped me.

"What are you doing?" She demanded. "Percy, Im trying to help you."

A MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR: And with that evil suspenseful ending I bid you a-due! If you want to read more than post a review! The more reviews the faster I update!


	5. Chapter 5

A MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR: YYYOOO! What's up! This story currently has over 900 hits! So If you are reading this you might be the 1000th hit! Congrats to who ever that is.

Enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 5: Plans

It's funny how the world looks when your about to black out. The way nothing makes sense but at the same time every thing becomes clear to you.

That's how I felt as I stared at Annabeth standing in my door way.

"Percy?" She asked as I swayed from side to said to counter the ship like rocking of the room around me. "Percy you should sit down before you..."

Her words were lost in the blackness that rudely cut off the conversation. I felt myself slip sideways like I was falling and then...nothing.

Time Break! Yay!

When I came to I was back in the hospital.

Great! I thought sarcastically. Because I loved staying here so mush yesterday.

I rolled over to see a doctor standing next to my bed.

"Oh good." The doctor said. "You're up."

I nodded in recognition of what he said.

The doctor seemed to be very serious.

"There are some Police Officers here to see you." He said as he opened the door and two Officers stepped in.

"Hello, Percy." Said the taller of the two. "I'm officer Harrison and this is Officer Franklin. We were wondering if we could discus what happened yesterday at the orphanage?"

I turned to look out the window, not because I didn't care but I knew how this was going to play out. He was going to try and talk to me and I would try my best to convoy that I couldn't speak until he got frustrated and left. This was always the case this situations like these.

After ten minutes of trying to talk to me the two Officers left.

I laid there on the soft bed in comfortable silence. I wouldn't mind if I spent the rest of my life like this. Laying on a soft bed where no one would hurt me.

I heard the door to my left.

"Hay, Percy." Annabeth said when she entered. "How are you feeling?"

I turned to face her.

'Why are you here?' I signed.

Annabeth looked frustrated.

"I told you that I'm sorry." She said, clearly exasperated. "What do I have to do to prove it to you?"

I frowned at her.

'Why do you even want to hang out with me if Luke threatened to kill you?' I signed. 'Unless you made up the hole story.'

"I didn't make it up." She said. "And I don't care what Luke thinks. I was going to say this after school yesterday but you were in bad shape and..." She paused. "Percy, let's get out of here. Let's go find my Mom and the two of us can be free of that place." She paused again. "You were right, Percy. Any where is better than that Orphanage."

As she spoke I saw the raw emotions in her eyes. The hurt and sadness. And I knew then that she was my friend. That she meant every word she was saying now. And I smiled.

'Ok.' I signed. 'But I've tried to escape before. Gabe will find us and hurt us.'

She gave me a crooked, knowing, smile.

"Well last time you didn't have me." She said with a wink.

Time Break!

POV:...ANNABETH! YAH! I LOVE WRITING ANNABETH POV!

So yah...

POV: Annabeth

I was sitting next to Percy in the hospital an hour later when Thalia came in.

"Hay." She said to me.

I nodded to her.

"Hay." I responded. "How's it going back at the orphanage?"

"Pretty bad." Thalia said with a light hearted tone. "Gabe is off the hook apparently and Luke and Clarisse aren't going to be punished so...yah, that's a thing apparently."

I glanced back at Percy to see him shaking his head in disappointment.

He started to move his hands around in complicated motions.

'Figures' They spelt once I translated the motions into letters.

"We have to get out of here." I said to break the silence. "We need a plan to get the hell out of dodge."

"It won't work." Thalia said. "Gabe's already pissed. If we try and run away now he'll kill us."

I frowned at her.

"We'll die if we stay." I retorted. "Just look what they did to Percy."

Thalia glanced at Percy with guilt in her eyes.

He really did look offal with all the cuts and bruises on him. If I didn't know any better I would think he had been hit by a train and run over.

"We're not him." She said slowly. "They go after him the most." She paused as Percy flipped her off. "He may be in danger but the rest of us are fine unless you do something stupid like run away."

I glanced at Percy who was glaring daggers at Thalia. He looked like a hurt puppy. A really pissed of hurt puppy but a puppy all the same. I felt the need to protect him at all costs. I don't know why but I felt a connection to him.

"Then stay." I said over my shoulder to Thalia. "But we're leaving."

Thalia looked taken aback.

"Just stop and think Annabeth." She began.

"No!" I cut her off. "I'm getting Percy out of that place."

"Where would you even go?" She demanded.

"Doesn't matter." I said. "So long as it's far away from here."

Thalia shook her head.

"So what's your big plan?" She asked.

I wasn't sure about that part. The details were still fuzzy but I did have a plan forming.

Time Break!

I was on the way to meet Percy at the hospital the next day with Thalia. We both had food stuffed in our backpacks and changes of cloths. We had also packed a backpack for Percy. When we got to the hospital Percy was waiting out side. He had been released earlier in the day but we told him not to come to school. Instead we led the other kids to believe we were just visiting Percy in the hospital for a few hours. This would be our head start.

They wouldn't be hunting us because they wouldn't know we were missing.

Gabe had long since drained Percy and Thalia's life savings accounts but mine still had money in it up until a few minutes ago when I drew all tree thousand dollars from it. I had four thousand but I guess Gabe works quick.

Once we met up with Percy we walked to Grand Central Station and bought three tickets on a train headed west.

As we took our seats on the train I couldn't help but laugh at the expression on Percy's face. He looked like a kid in a candy store. His sea green eyes were wide with joy and his head kept swiveling from side to side.

'We're doing it!' He signed. 'We're actually escaping!'

I laughed and nodded in agreement.

"What's he saying?" Thalia asked, nodding to Percy.

I had forgotten that she doesn't know sign language.

"He's just excited to be getting the hell out of here." I said with a chuckle of joy for leaving this nightmare behind.

A MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR: And they're off! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you want to read more than post a review on this story. The more reviews I get the faster I update.


	6. Chapter 6

A MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR: Well, This story got popular really quick! It jumped from only a few hits and then last chapter BOOM! A review and an explosion in view count! Thanks you! And sorry for the wait!

Enjoy!

Chapter 6: Always the Last Words

POV: Percy

We rode the train for hours. It was the best time I had ever had. We talked, well, Annabeth and Thalia talked while I signed, we laughed, and I wasn't looking over my shoulder to see if Luke or Gabe was about to beat me.

After a while the conversation began to die and the others fell asleep. I would have joined them but I was afraid that if I closed my eyes I would awake only to find out that this was a dream. That I'm still at the orphanage. I didn't want that to be true. I would do anything to be sure this was reality.

But despite my best efforts I fell asleep.

I awoke to a hand shaking my shoulder.

"Wake up." Came a gentle voice. "Percy, You need to wake up now."

My eyes snapped open to find I was still on the train.

Oh thank god. I though to my self.

"Percy?" The voice asked.

I turned my head to see Annabeth next to me.

I smiled at her.

'Hay.' I signed. 'Whats up?'

She smiled.

"I wanted to explore St. Louis." She said. "I always wanted to come here and the train is stopped here for a few hours so I figured we could see the city and the arch."

I didn't see why not. I mean, we were free!

I nodded.

'Sondes good.' I signed. 'Where's Thalia?'

I looked around for the third member of our group. She was nowhere to be seen.

"She's waiting on the platform." Annabeth said. "She said she needed to stretch her legs."

I nodded and followed Annabeth out of the train. We found Thalia reading a newspaper on the platform.

"Where'd you get a news paper?" Annabeth asked her.

"Found it in the trash." Thalia answered. "And you might want to read this story."

She handed the paper to Annabeth who quietly read the story.

"Shit." She muttered after a few seconds.

'What?' I signed.

She didn't respond though because she was still reading the paper. She probably didn't even see my hands move.

When she was done reading she looked up at me with a pale face.

"We need to go." She said in a hushed voice.

'What did it say?' I signed.

"Gabe has the feds looking for us." She said. "He has them under the impression that we stole his money and ran off."

Shit! I thought. The feds wold track us via security cameras so they probably saw us get on the train.

'We need a new ride.' I signed. 'The cops will know we were on that train.'

"Agreed." Annabeth said with a nod.

Thalia looked very confused.

"What's going on?" She asked curiously.

Annabeth looked around to see if any one was staring at us.

"I'll tell you later." She said. "We have to move."

Thalia looked bothered by this but nodded and followed us away from the train station.

Time Break

Fifteen minutes later we were gathered below the Arch, hoping the public place would be a good place to avoid suspicion.

"So what were you two talking about earlier?" Thalia asked Annabeth.

"Just that the feds will probably track the train so we should get a new ride." Annabeth answered.

Thalia nodded.

"Makes sense." She said. "So what's the new ride gona be?"

Annabeth frowned in concentration and stared up at the arch.

"We could take a bus." She suggested. "I would say a plane but that would need an ID and that won't end well."

I nodded.

'Plus I am afraid of flying.' I signed.

Annabeth frowned.

"Really?" She asked.

'Well,' I began. 'It's more of a fear of the sky. I get paranoid that I think it's going to kill me and get freaked out.'

Annabeth nodded.

"I've heard of weirder fears." I said.

"What?" Thalia asked.

'Don't tell her.' I signed to Annabeth.

Annabeth glanced between me and Thalia, debating her options.

"It's nothing." She finally said.

Thalia glared at me.

"What's he saying about me?" She demanded.

"Nothing." Annabeth assured her. "It was something privet."

Thalia shook her head.

"So where's this bus station?" She asked.

Time Break

POV: Annabeth

We walked through the city in search of a bus station. We eventually found one and were about to buy tickets when Thalia spoke.

"Guys." She said to stop us.

We turned around to face her.

"I can't go with you." She said, not meeting our eyes.

"Why?" I asked in surprise.

"I Know a lady up north who will be able to keep me safe but she hates boys." She said. "And you two have this click that I can't fit into. Im the third weal here and I know it."

"No, you're not." I said.

Percy shook his head, refuting what Thalia said and agreeing with me.

"They'd be looking for three kids not two or one." She said. "It would help all of us."

"Thalia," I began.

"No." She interrupted. "We need to split up unless you want us to get caught and sent to prison."

'Or worse,' Percy signed. 'they cold send us back to the orphanage.'

I nodded to him in agreement.

"You see!" Thalia cut in. "That's what I'm talking about! You two can actually communicate and you need each other so you should travel together. Im the third weal here and we would all blend better if we split up."

I didn't like this Idea but I knew she was right. The feds would be looking for three kids not two kids or a lone girl. We would do better if we split up.

I turned to see Percy looked troubled.

'I don't like this plan.' He signed.

"Yah." I said. "Me neither, but it might work."

He nodded in agreement.

Time Break

POV: Percy

I've never had real friends before. Now in the course of a day I both gained and lost friends. Annabeth and I sat by the window of our bus as we pulled out of the station and waived good bye to Thalia. None of us were smiling. We escaped hell together and now we were saying goodbye. I hate goodbyes. They're a recognition that you will never, in all likely hood, see the person again. They were always the last words you say to the people you care about, even if they don't hear it.

I have had too many goodbyes in my life and now Thalia joined the list.

Annabeth had given Thalia a third of her money so she could get to this friend of her's up north. I hoped she would make it. We had all been through enuf. I didn't think it was too much to ask for a small place to safely call home.

I haven't had one of those since my dad took the short cut off the bridge and that is all that I've wanted ever since.

"What now?" Annabeth asked me once we were on the highway.

'Now,' I signed. 'Now we find your mother. Now we find you a home.'

A MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR: Thanks for reading this chapter guys. If you like the story and want to read more then post a review to let me know. The more reviews the faster I update.


	7. Chapter 7

A MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR: Sorry for the wait.

Chapter 7: Videos

POV: Percy

We got off the bus almost a day later.

"Were are we?" Annabeth asked.

I shrugged. I didn't care where we were so long as we were free.

We walked in silence for a little while before Annabeth spoke.

"We can't find my mom." She said.

I patted her on the shoulder and gave her a smile.

'Yes we will.' I signed.

"No." She said. "We cain't. It would be stupid to try."

'Why?' I signed. 'We could find her.'

"You're right, we could." Annabeth began. "And then the feds would find us."

I frowned.

"Percy, I'm not saying we couldn't find her but once we do the Feds would find us there." She said.

I nodded in sad agreement.

There was nowhere for us to go. If the Feds didn't find us Gabe would. I began to debate turning myself into the Feds. At least that way there was a fifty fifty shot of not going to Gabe and dyeing a horrible death.

That's when I noticed the bus pulling up at the terminal a few blocks back.

'Shit!' I signed.

Sitting in one of the last rows of the bus was none other than Gabe himself.

'We have to move.' I signed.

Annabeth looked puzzled but her eyes widened in fear when she saw what I was looking at.

"How did he find us?" She asked in shock.

I shook my head, garbed her hand, and ran off to find a place to hide.

Once I knew we were safe I looked her in the eye.

'We need to stay quiet.' I signed. 'You should sign so he won't hear us.'

She nodded.

'Sounds good.' She signed back. 'But how did he find us?'

'He has his ways.' I signed back. 'Most of them are a mystery to me.'

She frowned in concentration.

'The only way we can get away from him is to show the feds what he does to the kids and get him to confess.' She signed.

I scoffed in my usual noisiness. So silently.

'And how do you plan on doing that?' I demanded.

She was studying our environment when her eyes lit up.

'Follow me.' She signed, taking me by the hand and leading me to a store across the street.

Time Break

POV Percy

'This might actually work.' I signed to her as we prepped our "Ambush" in a field outside of the small town.

Annabeth smiled.

"Of course it will." She said. "Now lets get this guy."

I nodded, determinedly.

"Go hide, I'll go bate Gabe." she said before freezing in horror.

"Why bother." Came an oily voice from in back of me. "I'm already here."

I spun around to see Gabe was standing right in front of me.

"You and this retard have been causing me a lot of trouble." Gabe said. "Not to mention the fact that you stole my money."

"You mean MY money!" Anabeth said, growing visibly agitated.

It was at this point that I hurriedly backed away from Gabe.

"Yah, well it's mine now so just hand it over." He said coldly.

"You stole it from me!" Annabeth screamed.

"And who would believe that." Gabe laughed. "You're just a trouble making orphan who stole money from the man that provides for her."

"You haven't fed any of us!" She yelled at him. "You make us go to the homeless shelter for food and showers!"

He laughed.

"And I walk off with a pot of government gold for it." He laughed. "An't that just beautiful."

"You steal from the government, the kids, and you abuse them too!" Annabeth screamed. "How the hell did you get this messed up?!"

"I haven't laid a hand on you yet." Gabe threatened. "So give me the money or els I will."

"Come and get it!" Annabeth screamed. "You already put Percy in the hospital, might as well try me next!"

"You really want to test me?" Gabe asked. "Because I went light on him when I sent him there."

He was pointing a stubby finger at me.

Annabeth stared him down coldly.

"I'm not giving you shit!" She screamed at last.

That was Gabe's last straw. He charged us and tackled Annabeth. He was positioning himself over her in a way that terrified me. I saw what he was about to do and moved to stop it when a sharp pain went up my back.

I collapsed to the ground and looked over my shoulder to see a bloody knife in a hand.

The hand looked like it belonged to a girl.

Of course he brought Clarisse along. I thought.

But then I noticed the hand wasn't beefy enuf to be her's. I followed the arm up to the body and then gaped at her face.

Thalia?! My mined screamed.

"I told you two idiots not to go." She stated calmly. "But you wouldn't listen."

She shook her head in disappointment.

"You should have known he would find you eventually." She said. "So don't act so surprised. I was merely trying to avoid getting my self killed."

Anger flooded my system. She had sold us out! She betrayed us to save her own hyde!

With a silent roar I charged her. Pain shot from my wound as I tackled her to the ground. The impact knocked her on concuss. I reached out with one hand and grabbed her knife.

Scrambling to my feet I charged Gabe and put the knife to his throat.

He glanced at me.

"Well, well, well." He laughed. "The retard finally grew some balls."

I pulled the knife closer to his throat.

"Are you going to kill me?" He asked it a mocking way as he stood up off of Annabeth.

With my free hand I signaled Annabeth to retrieve what we had hidden in the bush.

She nodded and ran to the bush.

once she was at my side again she spoke.

"We're going to leave now." She said in a shaky voice. "Don't try and follow us."

"And where would you go?" Gabe demanded. "I case you didn't notice the Feds are after you."

"Exactly." Annabeth said with a smile. "Come on, Percy." She said. "We're leaving."

I nodded and began to back away from Gabe, still pointing the knife at him.

Once we made it to the town we found the nearest police station and turned our selves in. I was about to black out from blood loss though.

When the officers went to put us in hand cuffs Annabeth spoke.

"We have evidence that this hole thing was a fabrication of the Orphanage care taker Gabe..." She paused. "Ok, I don't know his last name, But the guy who says we stole his money!"

The officer frowned.

"What evidence?" He asked.

"In my back pack is a video camera we bought at the Best Buy." She said. "We recorded Gabe confessing to everything."

The officer nodded.

"We'll look at the video later." He said. "But right now we need to put you in a holding room and get your friend to a doctor.

She nodded and so did I.

Time Break

It was three hours later and I was watching TV in my hospital room next to Annabeth. The news was running a story on Gabe and the video evidence revealing the "Atrocities of a man interested with the well being of children".

It was pretty satisfying to see his wanted sketch on the TV.

"So what do we do now?" Annabeth asked me.

I was about to respond when the door opened.

It was an officer with a phone in his hand.

"You have a phone call." He said.

I raised an eyebrow at him.

Sure! Let's put the mute on a phone! That will end well!

The Officer seamed to realize his mistake and rephrased his words.

"I mean Ms. Chase has a call." He corrected.

Annabeth's eyebrows went up.

"Me?" She asked.

The man nodded.

"The person on the other end said she recognized you from your wanted sketch the other day. She's been calling ever since. She claims to be your mother."

A MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR: Well? What do ya think? Want more? Then post a review. The more reviews the faster I update!


	8. Chapter 8

A MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR: Sorry for the delay! For those of you who haven't heard from my profile or posts on Dark, I was away and couldn't bring my laptop with me. I was gone for a few weeks.

Here is the next chapter!

Enjoy!

Chapter 8: Moving On

POV: Annabeth

It was late in the day and I was tiered from all we had been through. I hadn't had the chance to sleep yet and now I was being told to talk to my long lost mother.

"I never met my mother." I told the Officer.

The man furrowed his eyebrows at me.

"Would you like to?" He asked.

This had all come so abruptly that I had no idea what to think.

Should I meat her? Should I pass up this opportunity?

She did abandon me. But maybe it's not that simple. Maybe she didn't want to leave? Then why was I sent to n orphanage? Wouldn't she take me? Was this even my mother?

All these thoughts rushed through my head and made confused.

I turned and gave Percy a quizzical look, hoping he could help me make up my mind.

"What do you think?" I asked him.

His eyebrows shot up in surprise.

'Why wouldn't you?' He signed. 'Our plan was to get you to her from the start.'

I nodded.

"So you think I should meat her?" I asked.

He nodded.

I turned back to the Officer.

"Can I set up a meeting?" I asked.

"Of course." He answered. "I'll just go get a social worker so this can be official and I don't get fired for breaking protocol."

I chuckled as he left. I was about to meat my mom and this guy was freaking out over protocol.

"Thanks!" I called after him.

Time Break!

It was the next day and I was preparing to go and meat my mother.

The doctors had said that Percy as in good enough shape to come along, so he was right next to me. We were both given new clothes and were feeling refreshed after a good night's rest.

That being said, Percy still looked like crap after being stabbed and I felt like I had a thousand butterflies in my stomach.

I took a deep breath before we left.

Could I really go through with this?

Then I felt a hand work it's way into mine and I looked over to see Percy giving me an encouraging smile.

I nodded back and walked out to the car waiting for us.

A social worker was waiting in the car as well as a driver.

The drive was long and there was silence the hole way. No one spoke and Percy's hands remained still at his sides.

Eventually we pulled into a parking lot by a public park.

We all got out and the social worker led us into the park.

As we approached the picnic table aria I noticed a woman from a photo I once saw back at my dad's house. She looked exactly like an older version of me.

As we drew nearer she stood up from the table and locked eyes with me. I could see the tears in her eyes and before I could even blink we were hugging each other.

"Mom?" I croaked out.

"Yes, Annabeth?" My mom answered.

"It's really you?" I asked in disbelief as I broke off the hug.

She nodded as she continued to smile and cry.

"Yes." She replied in one breath.

She pulled me back into a hug.

"I thought I would never see you again!" She blurted out. "When your father won the custody battle he wouldn't let me see you and I had no idea that he was dead until the news reports came out!"

She shook her head into my shoulder.

"I am so sorry!" She cried. "You have every right to be angry but I beg you to forgive me! We could be a family. You and me."

She looked me in the eyes, hopefully.

I, uncertainly, looked over my shoulder at Percy.

He smiled, encouragingly, at me and nodded. It was then that I knew I couldn't accept the offer. I couldn't leave Percy. He was there for me when I was at my lowest and I was there when he was at his. Together we could make it through anything but this offer might separate us by god knows how many miles and I would be leaving him alone.

"I'm sorry." I said, slowly, as I turned back to my mother. "But I can't."

She looked shocked and hurt.

"Why?" She asked. "Annabeth, Please."

"Mom." I cut her off. "I can't leave Percy."

"What?" She asked.

"He got me out of that place and I can't leave him alone." I told her. "I'm sorry."

I glanced over my shoulder to see Percy scowling at me.

'Go with her.' He signed. 'I'll be fine.'

"No." I told him. "I'm not abandoning you."

'Go.' He signed, growing visibly agitated. 'You can have a family.'

I shook my head as I turned my hole body to face him.

"By abandoning the one that was there for me when no one else was." I said. "I won't do that."

'You barely know me.' He signed.

"Percy,…"

'Go.'

"No."

'Please.' He signed.

"I told you, were sticking together." I said with my best 'don't you dare cross me' face on.

Percy gave me a sad, half smile.

'Good thing it's not your call then.' He signed as he turned and walked away into the woods. 'Good by.' He signed as he walked.

Before I could stop him he was in the tree line. I tried to find him in the woods but he seamed to vanish into thin air.

With skills like this it made me wonder how he hadn't escaped Gabe before now.

"Percy!" I called out.

I looked around to find the driver and the social worker were both running to the tree line to try and find him, while my mother was at my side.

She gave me a sad smile.

"I'm sorry if I wasn't clear." She said. "But the offer was to the both of you. The Officer on the phone explained how close you two are and I knew that if you are anything like me then you wouldn't leave him for anything."

My heart dropped into my stomach.

"Why didn't you say this earlier!" I shouted. "He ran off and now we might never see him again!"

I thought it was implied and then the argument happened so quickly, not to mention I only caught one side of it as I don't speak sign language." She shook her head. "I'm only human."

I could feel my chest start to restrict at her words and the thought that I might not ever see Percy again.

I could still see his goofy smile as we rode out of New York and the look on his face when he realized he finally found some one he could talk to. Some one to confide in. Some one he could trust. I also remembered how terrified I had been when I entered his room and found him dangling from his ceiling fan, trying to kill him self. How devastated I had been when I thought I might loose him after Gabe and Luke beat him to a bloody pulp. The Idea of living without him made me not sad but hysterical.

I wanted to break something. I wanted to sob my eyes out. Most of all I wanted it all to just end. I had only known this boy for a short while but already I couldn't imagine my life without him. It just didn't seem worth living.

Time Break!

POV: Percy

I had run away from Annabeth. That was the only thought on my mind. The beautiful girl who had save my life in more ways then one. With out her I couldn't see a reason to carry on but I knew what I was doing was right.

She needed to live with her mom. To be able to have a family. She doesn't need me. I'm more of a liability at this point.

"There you are." An adult male said to my left.

My head wiped around to find an Officer standing next to me.

"We've been looking for you for hours." He said in a relieved tone as he pulled out a walk-y talk-y. "I found him by the creek." He said into the radio. "Come on kid, lets get you home."

If I could I would have pointed out to him that I didn't have a home to go to.

But reluctantly I went with him, hoping that Annabeth had left with her mother by now.

And indeed she had.

As I excited the forest the two were nowhere to be seen. I breathed a sigh of relief. At least it worked.

And so I climbed into the police car and got a ride back to the station, ignoring the Officer the hole time. Once we arrived at the station the Officer guided me in where I was met by a very angry scream.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" Annabeth demanded the second I entered the building.

I steered at her, baffled by her appearance. Eventually I recovered.

'Why didn't you go with your mom?' I signed, not showing any emotion.

"I did." She said, sounding very pissed off. "And so are you."

'What?' I signed in confusion.

"My mom's offer was for the both of us." She spat. "We can both go with her. She was never going to try and split us up."

My eyebrows went up in surprise as I noticed movement in back of her. I glanced over her shoulder to see her mom smiling at me kindly.

And my emotions ran wiled at the thought that Annabeth could have her mother and I could still be around her. That I could still be with the most amazing girl I could think of. I knew there would still be road bumps ahead in our lives but for right now I didn't care, we were together.

A MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR: Well? If you want to read more post a review. If not this is what I like to call the early ending. All my stories have one. A point in the story to stop and leave readers satisfied but bate it so if they want more they can have it. Think of it like part one and part two. Some characters that didn't appear in part one would appear in part two but the story could end here if you guys wanted. Annabeth has here mom and Percy and they both pears to be on the verge of love confession so it could end if you guy are done with it. If not and you want more then post a review and I will GLADLY update. I love writing this story.


	9. Chapter 9

A MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR: Sorry for the wait. My bad, I've been distracted.

Enjoy!

Chapter 9: Nightmares

POV: Percy

It was five hours after leaving the Police station when Annabeth, Athena, and I climbed out of the cab. We had taken a very long plane ride out to San Francisco.

The house in front of us looked like a huge university.

"I thought we were going to your house?" Annabeth questioned Athena.

Her mother smiled at her in a knowing way.

"This is my house." She said. "I'm one of the most successful architects in the world, so I designed this and my profession allows me to afford it."

'This is her house?' I signed.

No one noticed me signing though. Athena was watching Annabeth, and Annabeth was gawking at the "house".

And so we went into the house. It was just as big on the inside as it appeared to be on the outside.

"I tried to give your father some more money to look after you," Athena began as we entered the house. "but he refused to take any of it."

Annabeth was shaking her head in disbelief, her jaw dropped.

Athena gave a light laugh at her daughter's reaction.

"Come," She said as she began to walk off. "I need to show you two your rooms."

We followed her until we stopped by a door on the right side of the hallway.

"This is your room, Annabeth." Her mother began as she pushed the door open.

We walked inside to find a large room with a large bed in the center, a full sized desk and more books than I can count on the walls.

As Annabeth explored Athena turned to me.

"Your room is down the hall." She said. "It's the first door on the left."

I nodded my thanks and left to find my room.

It was pretty much a copy of Annabeth's but without all the books. I was fine without the books.

Time Break!

POV: Annabeth

The rest of the day went by in a blur. Amazing rooms and amazing food.

Then around ten o'clock I was about to go to bed but I figured I would say good night to Percy first. So I made a right out of my room and opened the first door on my left. Once inside I noticed it was dark in there and there was something thrashing around on the bed.

"Percy?" I asked.

When I spoke the figure seamed to thrash a little less but then it picked back up again.

I approached the bad to find a sleeping Percy thrashing around. The poor kid had been through so much and now he was having nightmares. I hoped this wasn't a regular thing for him.

I reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. His thrashing slowed to an occasional twitch.

I smiled; glad to be able to help. So I turned to leave but he began to thrash again.

I turned back to him and placed m hand on his shoulder again, debating my options. Eventually I shook his shoulder to wake him.

His sea green eyes snapped open, very alert.

"Hey, Percy." I said in a gentle tone as not to startle him any further. "You were having a nightmare."

His eyes made contact with mine, the fear from the dream still in his eyes.

'You woke me?' He signed.

I nodded.

'Thank you.' He signed.

I laughed.

"Don't mention it." I said through the laugh. "So what was the nightmare?"

His face darkened.

'I was back in the orphanage.' He signed. 'Luke and Gabe were beating me.'

I nodded sympathetically.

'Please don't leave.' Percy signed.

I could see the fear in his eyes. It wasn't just some dream to him. It was his reality up until we escaped. The thought of that place terrified him.

"Ok." I said as I climbed into the bed, next to him.

He seamed to relax a little.

"Night, Percy." I said.

He nodded and closed his eyes.

I was almost asleep when I felt him moving next to me. I looked over to find him thrashing around again.

I rolled onto my side and placed my left arm over him in a one armed hug.

He seamed to calm down and stopped thrashing.

His ragged, panicked, breathing became smooth and steady. To my dismay his jaw dropped and he began to drool.

I chuckled to myself and rested my head on his chest.

And I fell asleep.

A MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR: Sorry it's short. If you want more then post a review. The more reviews the faster I update.


	10. Chapter 10

A MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR: Sorry for the wait! I've been preoccupied but I'm back now!

Enjoy!

Chapter 10: New kids

POV: Annabeth

The next day as it turned out was the first day of our new school. My mom said she didn't want us missing out on our education so we were off to class.

Percy looked pretty upset on the car ride in.

'What's up?' I signed to him from my position in the back seat next to him, so that we could talk in privet without my mother knowing.

He just silently sighed.

'I hate school.' He answered. 'The kids are mean and the teachers are of no help.'

I nodded sympathetically.

'Maybe this place will be different.' I signed. 'We should at least give it a try. I mean it can't be that horrid.'

He frowned at me for a moment.

'I don't know that word.' He signed after a moment. 'It can't be that, what?'

'Horrid.' I signed. 'It means bad or terrifying.'

He just shook his head.

'I see the word but don't know what word it means.' He signed, looking frustrated.

Then it clicked. He probably knew the word but never learned it in sign language.

"Horrid." I said out loud.

It was at this point that my mom looked back at us in the rear view mirror.

"What's horrid?" She asked.

"Nothing." I answered.

She frowned.

"Just because I don't speak sign language doesn't mean you two can talk about me." She warned in a teasing voice.

I laughed.

"We were talking about our old school." I clarified.

"Was it really that bad?" My mom asked.

I just pursed my lips.

"It wasn't good." I answered.

She seemed to understand that I didn't want to talk about it and she left it alone.

I turned back to Percy who was giving me a small smile.

'Thanks for staying with me last night.' He signed.

'Any time.' I answered, smiling myself.

"What are you too talking about?" My mom asked suspiciously.

My cheeks blushed.

"Nothing." I answered.

Time Break!

"Class, these our new students, Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson." The teacher announced as Percy and I entered our new home room.

So we took our seats near the rear of the class.

"Hi." Greeted a girl to my left. "I'm Piper."

"I'm Annabeth." I answered. "And this is Percy." I pointed to him sitting on my right.

Piper nodded to Percy and he returned the nod.

"So what made you two transfer schools in the middle of the year?" Piper asked.

I shifted uncomfortably at the question.

"It's kind of a long story." I told her.

"I've got time." She answered.

I turned to Percy.

'Should we tell her?' I signed.

He paused for a second in thought before responding.

'Your call.' He answered.

I honestly didn't know what to do now. We just met this girl and I didn't want to scare her off with the story of what we had just escaped from but I didn't want to be rude and not answer.

'I really don't know.' I told Percy.

"What's up with the sign language?" Piper asked as she watched us talk.

Again I paused, unsure if Percy wanted me telling people about his past.

'What should I tell her?' I signed.

He glanced at Piper before replying.

'Tell her I was in an accident and now I'm mute.' He signed.

I nodded and turned to face Piper.

"Percy was in an accident that left him mute so he talks through signing." I told her.

She glanced at him looking concerned before speaking.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." She told him. "I didn't know."

He nodded and gave an 'it's ok' smile.

Piper seamed to understand before she turned to face me.

"So are you two related?" She asked.

I shook my head.

"No." I answered. "We met..." I paused, debating on what to say.

'Just tell her' I saw Percy sign out of the corner of my eye.

'Really?' I asked. 'We just met her.'

'So?' He asked. 'She's gona find out eventually. I mean secrets never last long.'

I nodded in agreement.

"We met at an orphanage." I began.

And so I explained the events of how we got here to her, minus Percy's nightmares and other stuff that I thought were too personal to talk about.

She nodded as I spoke and seemed interested in it.

Before I could get her reaction though, class started.

Time Break!

Before I knew it lunch had arrived.

Classes had gone well and even thought the teachers didn't speak sign language I happily interpreted Percy's questions for him.

As we walked through the cafeteria with our lunch trays I heard a voice to my right call out "Annabeth!"

I turned to see Piper sitting at a table with a group of friends as she waved me over.

I turned to Percy and nodded in her direction.

"You want to sit there?" I asked.

He thought about it for a minute before shrugging. He then shifted his lunch tray a little in a way that clearly said 'Id answer you but my hand are holding my food, sorry'.

I nodded and said "Then we are sitting there."

He nodded and followed me over to where Piper and her friends were.

"Hi." I greeted them as I sat down next to a Goth looking kid as Percy sat on my other side.

They all said hello back.

And so that's how lunch went. We just ate and talked about various things. It was weird, after all we went through it was hard to accept that we were now living, what felt like, a pretty normal life.

A MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR: Like it? Then post a review to get others to read it.


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